Diane Keaton to be honored for support of diabetes research

Actress Diane Keaton will be honored later this year by the Children’s Diabetes Foundation for her longtime support of the organization and diabetes research, the foundation announced Wednesday.

Keaton will receive the Brass Ring Award at the 36th Carousel of Hope Ball on Oct. 8 in Beverly Hills. The Carousel of Hope event raises funds for clinical care and diabetes research at the Barbara Davis Center for Diabetes.

The biennial ball is a gathering of supporters from industries including film, television, music, and business.

The Academy-Award-winning Keaton, whose acting career has spanned six decades, is a longtime supporter of the Children’s Diabetes Foundation, the fundraising arm of the Barbara Davis Center for Diabetes. Keaton will be honored for her philanthropic donations and continued support of the cause, according to organizers.

Keaton previously served on the foundation’s entertainment committee.

“We are so thrilled to honor the multi-talented Diane Keaton with the Brass Ring Award this year,” event chair and host Barbara Davis said. “Diane has been a dear friend for many years and her giving spirit radiates to everyone around her. Her film roles have made her one of our most beloved actresses, directors, and authors of our time.”

Keaton won an Oscar for her work in Woody Allen’s “Annie Hall” in 1978. She was nominated three other times, for her roles in “Reds,” “Marvin’s Room” and “Something’s Gotta Give.”

Previous recipients of the Brass Ring Award include George Clooney, Robert De Niro, Sidney Poitier, Whitney Houston, Denzel Washington, Frank Sinatra, Jane Fonda, Stevie Wonder, Sherry Lansing, Halle Berry, Earvin “Magic” Johnson, Hillary Clinton, and Gerald Ford.

The Brass Ring Award was named after the ring that carousel riders would try to catch on the ride as a sign of achievement, and now represents the goal of finding a diabetes cure.

Previous balls have raised more than $110 million for the Children’s Diabetes Foundation and the Barbara Davis Center through sponsorships, dinner tickets, auctions, and contributions.

The ball will take place at The Beverly Hilton hotel.